Five Signs Your Company is Ready for a Sports Sponsorship Contract

Sports teams unite people. They ignite communities. They have the power to produce change and positively impact neighborhoods. Is your company ready for a sponsorship? Here are five signs:

1. You consider your brand a part of the community, and you want others to see it that way, too:
People respond and bond over authentic athletic events, forming relationships with others who support the same team. By associating your company brand with something as dynamic as a sports team, you become part of the group dynamic and are instrumental in the fan experience.

2. Your company needs to increase the quality of its sales, recruitment and retention tools:
Yes, your brand receives high-level exposure through a sports sponsorship, and your marketing department will rejoice. One of the greatest things about a sponsorship is that for well-prepared companies, the assets lend themselves to departments beyond marketing. Sports sponsorships give you access to high-profile people and dynamic locations. Great companies know that there are a variety of business-positive ways to use this access. Tickets may be used for sales teams, special events and meet & greets may be used to celebrate employee accomplishments and group events may be used for team building.

3. Your marketing plan is working, but you’re looking for that extra something to set you apart:
Is business good, but not great? Sponsorship offerings include key differentiators such as exclusivity, naming rights and VIP packages that can elevate a brand, helping to identify it as an industry leader. If you’re looking for something that no one else has, sports sponsorship provides extremely personalized and limitless strategic opportunities.

4. You want access to loyal prospects:
A sporting event is an exciting place to be ­– music, food and generations of fans combine with game day staff whose sole purpose is to amp the entertainment value and make the day unforgettable. Sponsorship gives you the opportunity to be a part of this, so that when a fan leaves the game, your company has been integrated into their experience. There’s a lot of data on sports sponsorships and loyalty, but one of the best, and most quoted, comes from NASCAR fans. According to Turnkey Sports & Entertainment for Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal, 76% of NASCAR fans are likely to consider a brand when it is an official NASCAR sponsor. That’s a huge number to anyone who looks at media buying metrics.

5. You’re in a rut:
When you budget for 2017, do you open up your 2016 file, add an increase (or cut an item or two), rename the file for 2017, but expect/hope that your results will improve? If “shaking things up” is something that has been suggested in a strategic meeting, then it’s time to investigate the possibilities of sports sponsorship.

When you are ready to talk about sponsorship, be sure to work with someone who can talk with you about your objectives, and will be watching out for your interests through the negotiation. If you don’t have a sports marketing professional on your staff, get one at the negotiating table to represent you. And get the deal that helps you reach your business goals!

At Appleton Sports Marketing, we represent clients in their negotiation of event and sports sponsorships, because your business goals matter. Here’s what we do for you:

* Discovery Session: Let’s talk about your business and set goals.

* Budget: Let’s set a budget and agree that if it doesn’t fit in the budget, it isn’t right for your business. And let’s talk about your activation costs, because you should know your full expenses before you sign a contract.

* Negotiation: Let’s find the right sponsorship that gets in front of the right people and moves your business forward. And let’s do it under budget.

Are you ready to elevate your brand exposure through sports marketing?Appleton Sports Marketing is a division of Appleton Creative. Appleton Sports Marketing works to help clients negotiate their best sports sponsorship deals. We help identify sponsorship goals, outline team deliverables and review performance metrics. The client sets the budget. Appleton Sports Marketing gets the best deal. Your sports sponsorship goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-246-0092 or amy@appletoncreative.com.